


The Dancing Turian

by Exostrike



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Alternate Universe - Stripper/Exotic Dancer, Gen, Implied MShep/Garrus, M/M, Strippers & Strip Clubs, based on a reddit post, garrus is a dancer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-02
Updated: 2019-02-02
Packaged: 2019-10-21 05:18:49
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,908
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17636669
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Exostrike/pseuds/Exostrike
Summary: The problem with escape identities is they need to be maintained.Garrus has an alter-ego as a dancer on Omega during his time as Archangel





	The Dancing Turian

One of the first things that Garrus did when get set up shop on Omega was set up an escape identity. Along with his main cover he’d created Arius Gratnus, after a perp back on the citadel he’d busted years ago. While hacking in and creating the id had been easy he knew he would have to maintain the identity. A person with no meta data trying to get off station would set off alarm bells if there was a manhunt on. As such Arius had started buying food and other usual items. But that wouldn’t be enough. Arius needed a job.

 

Garrus entered the tiny apartment that Arius rented. It was a cheap stack multiple entrances with little or no security and a landlord that didn’t ask questions unless the rent wasn’t paid. He checked the VI program running on the terminal sending semi-regular messages to fake accounts and browsing extranet sites giving Arius a digital footprint.

 

Satisfied, Garrus moved over to the full length mirror, the only thing he’d added to the apartment and stripped off his armour. He checked his body for any obvious bruises and marks. Satisfied he started hiding his markings with make-up. He’d felt regret when he’d first done it but it wasn’t like this was the first time he’d done undercover work. He applied new markings, those of one of the outer Turian colonies. Finally he pulled on something sporty he’d picked up. “Ready for a nights work?” Arius asked the mirror.

 

Arius checked his omni-tools. Prostitution was a fact of life on Omega despite the ads and unless you were on contact to one of the big club like Afterlife, a fluid one. Far too many people coming in, looking to make a quick buck and then getting out, going professional and or disappearing into the underground slave trade. As such most clubs relieved on a steady flow of freelancers, complete with online scheduling. All of which suited Arius, sign up for a few clubs, dance for a couple of hours when it was convenient, collect his pay and disappear again as long as he liked to become Garrus again. He was in luck. One of his favourites had some free shifts, a bust night. Accepting and getting a confirmation notification Arius headed out the door.

 

“Arius! Haven’t seen you for several weeks,” the clerk at the club’s service entrance said as Arius appeared.

“Been busy, a few things came up,” he replied, while he was infrequent he was starting to become a regular at The Quad.

“Good to have you back though. Some of us feared you’d been snatched up by the competition,” the clerk said buzzing Arius in. “You’d ever thought of signing up with us? I hear management would pay handsomely for a man of your talents,” the clerk continued.

“Afraid I like my freedom man!”Arius declined, heading toward the changing rooms.

 

Arius squeezed past a naked Krogan and found a free locker. He’d been surprised how popular he’d proved to be. Turns out male Turian dancers were always in short supply and the tough soldier beyond legal requirement look was especially sort after. He stripped off again and applied the oil to make his plates glisten and then pulled on a pair of trunks, all that he wore when he was on duty. Finally he inserted the slim line comm link into his ear. After a few seconds a status update was flashed to him signalling that he was now on duty and there was a free pole above the bar on level 2.

 

Arius made his way to the dancer elevator to level 2 appearing holding onto a pole and stepping off onto the walkway behind the central bar, moving into a free position. The Quad was packed a usual, being near a major docking hub and a free open door policy unlike Afterlife meant that level 1 was always packed. He could see the masses below him. Hated worked on that level, at least one level 2 with its premium only access the clientele were better. The final level was the luxury VIP bar and private boxes. Gripping the pole he started a warm-up dance, letting himself sink into the rhythm.

 

It hadn’t been easy at first, his movements clumsy and uncoordinated. He’d been turned down the first couple of try outs he’d went to. Part of it was the feeling of shame for putting himself on display, the rest his inexperience. He had thought of packing it in a let Arius fade back into obscurity but he was never on to pack it in. He’d learned to put the control and accuracy of a rifle into his body movements, the rhythm of battle and the bolt sliding back became the rhythm of the music and the dance. He’d even learned to focus on the energy and emotion of the crowd instead of the humiliation.

 

His headset buzzed, indicating a status update, Arius touched his ear baring breaking his dance to accept it. “You’re lucky tonight, trick spot 4, level 2.” Arius signed at that and made his way to the catwalk that jetted out into the bar area. Clientele looked up as he arrived and started a gentle dance. Almost instantly routines began filling up in screen set into the floor invisible to the crowds. Seeing the most requested move he started grinding against the pole, swaying his hips. Wireless payments straight from your table, nice safe and anonymous. It also went straight into the clubs accounts that Arius only ever saw a fraction of it, but it was still a major bonus over normal dance work. He might not like turning tricks for people but it was nice to have people interested in you that didn’t want to kill you. Once he’d seen some mercenaries he’d been in combat against eyeing him up.

 

He was shaking his rear at a group of Salarians when his headset beeped again. This was odd as he still had time at the trick spot. He touch the headset, caressing his spines to hide it. “Level 3, private box 16. Anonymous client. Asked for you by name. Someone’s got a fan” the co-ordinator smirked. Arius was confused at this. Private dances were usually done only by the famous signed on dancers. The other possibility was that his identity had been discovered and he was being set up. No that was stupid, they would have simply jumped him at the entrance if they wanted to do that. Perhaps there was just someone who was really into Turians. He finished up the outstanding requests and waving good by to the crowd retreated to the central lift up to level 3.

 

The music on level 3 was much quieter, a more relaxed atmosphere after the lower levels. A couple of the patrons glanced up as Arius stepped onto the level and headed towards the private box. He moved past the outer curtain and composed himself. He hadn’t done many of these and he’d heard a lot of horror stories. But the Quad was good when it came to respecting the limits he’d chose. No sexual contact. He’d learned the hard way with than Hanar.

“You requested a personal dance…,” He said stepping though the inner curtain, looking up to confirm the gender of his client but the voice died in his throat.

 

“Shepard,” Garrus whispered in shock. He’d been told Shepard was dead, spaced, but now he was sitting in sitting in front of him in a smart suit. He focused, it was hard to see in the darkness but there seemed to be scaring around his face. Perhaps remains of extreme surgery, or the result of botched facial reconstruction.

“I did request a dance,” Shepard said, impatiently.

“Apologies, Sir” Arius said deploying the box’s pole and starting a gentle dance. “Shepard. Is that you?” he whispered as he danced, not entirely sure if the management bugged the private boxes.

“I see my tip off was correct,” Shepard said smiling. “My, my, I would never imagined seeing you in this position Garrus,” he continued. Definitely Shepard.

“Keeping up my cover,” he whispered in explanation.

“Your certainly keeping something up” Shepard commented on the current position Arius was in.

“Why are you here?”

“Actually I’m looking for Archangel. But a little bird said you might be here so I thought I’d recruit you and see what you knew about Archangel” Oh of all the spirits, Garrus thought this is going to ruin his credibility.

“Well now that you mention it” he said, Shepard’s eyebrow raised as he made the connection.

“You?” he said breathing out in surprise. Arius nodded in confirmation.

“Why are you looking for me?” Arius asked.

“Putting together a team. Someone is attacking human colonies. I think its the Reapers.”

 

Garrus considered the offer, Omega was getting a bit too hot these days outside of this short breaks. The gangs had started co-ordinating their activities. He’d already survived a couple of ambushes, sloppy and barely co-ordinated but a sign of things to come.

“OK, meet me at docking ward 89, Kenzo District. 6 hours. There is a few things I need to clean up first” he replied.

“OK, but please finish the dance” Shepard said, enjoying the view.

 

“OK, so when you said, a few thing to take care of you mean survive a full scale assault by every mercenary group on Omega and nearly get blown by a gunship?” Shepard said as they boarded the Normandy.

“Well how was I supposed to know the entire thing was a set up?” Garrus said limping slightly, he’d nearly taken a gunship cannon round when they were pinned down.

“And that’s why you needed a team to back you up,” the woman Miranda pointed out. Garrus hadn’t been keen after finding out Shepard was working with Cerberus but Shepard seemed genuine and that was enough for him.

“I had a team, before they got wiped out,” Garrus explained.

“You can tell us about it later. I’m sure you want to get settled in and recover from that fight,” Shepard said.

 

“Shepard?” Garrus looked up when Shepard came into the main battery room that he’d set up in.

“Joker said you’ve already started calibrating the systems,” Shepard said. Garrus shrugged.

“It keeps me busy, there is so many systems that are inefficient.”

“Whatever makes the ship better,” Shepard said, Garrus paused for a second.

“I noticed that you haven’t told people how you recruited me” he said reluctant to bring the subject up.

“Told them the source gave me your contact, used the club to cover the meeting.”

“And the box?”

“Private slush account. I doubt the illusive man will notice the credits missing,” Shepard smiled.

“Good. I’m not sure the reputation of Archangel could survive that,” Garrus admitted. He had never really expected his double life as Arius to have gone so far.

 

“But still you performed some wonderful moves there. Care to give me some lessons?” Shepard joked. Garrus was surprised, he’d thought Shepard had simply been acting the role of a thrill seeker, surely he couldn’t have actually have enjoyed it.

“Really?” he asked, expecting Shepard to brush the suggestion again.

“Sure” Shepard said, suddenly looking at him in a way he’d never done before.

“Then when would be a good time?” Arius asked. Thank the spirits he had decided to bring those trunks along after all.


End file.
